Man involved in Sioux Falls building collapse leaves company

Feb. 22, 2018

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The man at the center of a federal criminal investigation into the 2016 building collapse in Sioux Falls is no longer employed with the building's developer.

Aaron Hultgren had been serving as director of operations and development with Legacy Development, the developer of the Copper Lounge. His construction company, Hultgren Construction, also had been remodeling the Copper Lounge when it collapsed Dec. 2, 2016, leaving one of his employees dead and a woman trapped in rubble for hours.

Legacy Development spokeswoman Stacy Jones told the Argus Leader that Hultgren left the development company "to pursue other opportunities."

Last month, Hultgren had been replaced as guarantor on a $50 million construction project between Legacy Developments and the city of Sioux Falls. Jeff Lamont, an Aberdeen hotel developer, filled Hultgren's place on the plan to build a hotel, commercial space and parking garage downtown.

The newspaper's investigation revealed in December that Hultgren Construction violated federal and state law by removing asbestos from the Copper Lounge without proper permits and dumping the hazardous material in the city's landfill.

Hultgren Construction has appealed civil penalties of more than $200,000 issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. The company's appeal has been stayed pending the criminal investigation's findings.